H.R. 9478: Methane Removal Research and Innovation Act of 2026

This bill would direct the Secretary of Energy to create a new federal research program focused on removing methane from the atmosphere. The program would have to be set up within one year after the bill becomes law.

What the program would do

The new Methane Removal Research Initiative would support research on ways to reduce methane already in the air. Methane is a greenhouse gas, and the bill defines “methane removal approaches” as methods that break down methane or remove it from the atmosphere using physical, chemical, or biological techniques.

The Energy Department would be expected to use expertise and resources from several federal agencies and offices, including:

• the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Fossil Energy office, and ARPA-E;
• the National Science Foundation;
• NOAA;
• the EPA;
• the Department of Agriculture;
• the U.S. Geological Survey and Interior Department;
• NASA; and
• the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

What kinds of research it would cover

The bill says the initiative should bring together teams from national labs, universities, private companies, and other entities to study the feasibility, cost, scale, social obstacles, and practical development of methane removal methods. It specifically calls for research on:

• atmospheric chemistry and oxidation;
• methods to improve methane-eating microbes (“methanotrophy”);
• plant-based biological methods;
• methane concentrators and breakdown reactors;
• new materials and coatings that help break methane down;
• other new or existing methane removal approaches;
• tools to measure and evaluate these methods; and
• science communication and public engagement materials.

The research goals would be informed by a National Academies report titled A Research Agenda Toward Atmospheric Methane Removal.

How the work could be organized

The Secretary of Energy could structure the research through single-investigator grants, small research groups, Energy Frontier Research Centers, Energy Innovation Hubs, or other similar structures. The bill also says the Department should provide enough resources to work toward the research goals, but it leaves the exact timeline up to the Secretary.

Reporting requirements

Starting three years after enactment, and every three years after that, the Secretary of Energy would have to send Congress a brief report on:

• the research activities and goals;
• progress toward those goals;
• the current state of scientific knowledge and remaining gaps;
• resource needs and limitations; and
• recommendations for future methane removal work.

Funding

The bill authorizes up to $25 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out the program.

Relevant Companies

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